The Nation Newspaper

Tag: sympathises

  • Obuh sympathises with Eaglets

    Obuh sympathises with Eaglets

    Former Golden Eaglets coach John Obuh has  sympathised with the Nigeria U-17 team, after they lost 1-3 to Guinea’s U-17 team to finish fourth at the just ended CAF U-17 championship in Niger.

    The Nigerians had been tipped to win the tournament, but failed at the semi-final stage after they were stunned 1-0 by the Amajimbos of South Africa, and any hopes of a medal finish was dashed as the Syli Babes cruised to a 3-1 win over their more illustrious Nigerian opponents.

    And Obuh, who led the Nigerian U-17s to a second place finish at the 2009 FIFA U-17 World Cup, says he understands how the team must have felt after going into the competition with so many expectations.

    “I understand how they must have felt,” Obuh began. “They went in there with so much expectation and pressure and, unfortunately, it didn’t work out well. They are young boys and most times when the pressure is too much it gets to them, which is what I think happened,” he told sl10.ng.

    Despite their failure to finish in the top three of the competition, the Eaglets, however, booked a place at the next FIFA U-17 World Cup in Chile, and it is expected that the team will be overhauled in time for the competition.

  • Okorocha sympathises with Sun

    Okorocha sympathises with Sun

    Imo State Governor Rochas Okorocha has, on behalf of the government and people of the state, expressed regret over the death of the Vice-Chairman of the Sun Publishing Ltd, Mr. Dimgba Igwe.

    He said Igwe’s death at 58 last Saturday taught a lesson about life that “we all live at the mercy of God.”

    The governor said: “Given the option, Mr. Igwe would have preferred to remain alive, but he was not offered that alternative by his creator.

    “Politicians and political office holders, who talk and act as if the world belongs to them, should learn a big lesson from Igwe’s death.”

  • NFF sympathises with Amiesimaka

    NFF sympathises with Amiesimaka

    The Nigeria Football Federation declared at the weekend that it sympathised with former player Adokiye Amiesimaka over his ill-disguised and poorly-articulated campaign for disengaged backroom staff and an assistant Coach of the Super Eagles.

    Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee, Emeka Inyama lampooned the ex-footballer for being who he is, “a very idle, thoroughly confused, frustrated and self-important individual who has never seen anything good in any other person or institution.”

    Inyama, also Chairman of the Nigeria National League stated that there is no going back on the downsizing, and that discourteous mouthpieces like Amiesimaka were only wasting their time and energy.

    “The NFF is being proactive, as we have been told that the funds we got for prosecuting the Cup of Nations in South Africa would be deducted from our annual allocation. Now, we are left with just about N70 million every month. That cannot achieve much (if you are aware that one match of the Super Eagles cost about N120million), and we are only going to be able to fulfil our several obligations by the time we add projected earnings from our sponsors and duly cut our coat according to our cloth.

    “We have explained to Nigerians the reason why we are downsizing and we are grateful for their understanding. Amiesimaka is not one of those to whom we owe explanation, because he lacks the moral ground to even speak out on football management.

    “This is a man whose record at Sharks FC of Port Harcourt remains despicable. We know those who are qualified to speak on the administration of the game. He is definitely not one of them.”

    Inyama insisted that Amiesimaka has even lost touch with his own legal practice.

    “Otherwise, he would have known that the Justice Abang case he has been referring to, was struck out, dismissed. He lacks information and should not misinform the public. Adokiye is simply unhappy with the present NFF administration’s achievements. We know how he used to shout to the rooftop that the NSC was illegal until then NSC leadership made him member of delegation to the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2007.”

    The former Commissioner for Sports in Abia State snorted at Amiesimaka’s call on the Sports Minister to tackle the NFF, sympathising with the ex-footballer on his ignorance.

    “Amiesimaka is, of course, unaware that we carry the Honourable Minister of Sports and Chairman, NSC along in everything we do. Despite our explanation that FIFA will pay the salaries of the National Technical Director and his assistants, Amiesimaka was still rambling at the weekend about how we are going to pay them if we truly have to manage our funds.

    “The NFF is in position to determine the size of the backroom and technical staff of the National Teams, not poor campaigners like Adokiye. He cannot even get anyone to listen to him in Port Harcourt, talk less of Rivers State, and much less Nigeria. He should rather concentrate on his failing brothel business.

    “The last we will say on this matter is that the Super Eagles crew presently consist of the Head Coach, two assistant Coaches, team secretary, team doctor, physiotherapist, team coordinator and equipment manager, and no more.”

  • Abia ACN sympathises with pensioners over unpaid arrears

    Abia ACN sympathises with pensioners over unpaid arrears

    •Pension chief: verification delays payment

    The Abia State Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) has sympathised with the state pensioners who were protesting the non-payment of their six-month arrears.

    The pensioners held a rally on Aba Road, Umuahia, the state capital.

    Through its Publicity Secretary, Offor Okorie, ACN noted that what the Theodore Orji administration has done to the pensioners was grievous. Okorie said: “As a retired civil servant, the governor is supposed to know that those senior citizens need their entitlements to survive and take care of themselves and families. But he allowed them to suffer.”

    The party chief urged Orji to pay the pensioners their entitlements to enable them celebrate the Christmas with their families.

    According to him, the joy of an average Igbo man is to satisfy his family during festive periods.

    But the Pension Board Chairman Chief Dan Egbogu said the pensions piled up into arrears because of ongoing verification to ascertain authentic pensioners and the fake.

    He said the government has been facing a bloated wage bill and pensions, adding that it has resolved to streamline the payroll.

    “So, at the end of the verification, what comes to us as a wage bill will be a realistic figure we can work with.

    “Once the governor is able to establish that he is not releasing money for ghost workers and pensioners, the problem will be solved. I appreciate the difficulties the pensioners are facing and I sympathise with them. But they should be patient because we are going to solve the problem.”